A Question in the Hall
by TheFicGoblin
Summary: Eddward prides himself on never being late. So what the heck happened to hold him up so bad today? As he quietly deciphers it, a new discovery and unintentional feelings begin to rise inside of him.


**A/N: Hey, just writing up a little one-shot (maybe more?) for an old favorite. Hope people like.**

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"Excuse me? Double D Ed-boy?"

It felt as though the ground underneath him suddenly rocked back into place. Clutching at his hammering chest, Eddward finally took a breath in.

What in Sam Hill?!

"Um, hello?" Rolf asked, waving a hand in front of his ski cap wearing compatriot. "Have you forgotten your daily spoonful of fermented fish oil, Ed-boy? Nana always says that one needs to take it before they can speak for the day. Here, I always keep a supply on my..."

"Wait!" Double D finally called out, holding his hand out and grasping Rolf's shoulder. "Um, that is to say, thank you Rolf but I shall be fine. I simply..." Eddward attempted to correct himself and recall his daily goings-on but found himself struggling. "Actually, what was I doing? I had finished up with my luncheon and was making my way to class so as to be early for the next lesson, when..."

"That is what the son of a shepherd is attempting to tell you, Ed-boy!" Rolf exclaimed, still gripping the bottle of cloudy liquid he had retrieved from his side pocket. "The teacher of many things historical sent me along to find you! You have been late to class for 15 clock-turns!"

Eddward paused at this information, before gasping loudly and producing a loud yelp. "Good lord!" he said, realizing what Rolf must have meant. "I've been late to class for 15 minutes?!"

"That is about correct! But, Double D Ed-boy, it would be more correct to say 17 by this point."

Double D clasped onto Rolf's shoulder, albeit weakly, and began tugging him down the hallway. "We mustn't delay, Rolf! Oh dear, I can't believe I'm tardy, what could have ever possessed me to be so unprofessional?!"

The travel back to the classroom was quick, having only been two corridors away from the intended location. Entering in, and attempting to explain himself to the teacher, Eddward was simply quietly pointed to his usual seat as the head of the classroom had begun the film the class was watching once again.

"Dang, Sockhead..." Double D's shorter and older companion Eddy stated to his side. "You should've told us that you were planning on playing hooky."

"I did no such thing!" Double D shot back to his left, before feeling his tallest and younger friend poke his right side.

"I didn't know that you had a hook, Double D!" Ed said in a not-very-hushed whisper. "Is that what you keep under your hat?"

"Honestly, Ed..." Double D began, looking back to his simple-minded friend. "It is simply a figure of speech, you know quite well I don't have a hooked appendage."

"Well then spill, Sockhead, where the heck were you?" Eddy asked a bit harsher. "Me and Ed haven't known a dang thing going on in class so far!"

"Really, Eddy…?"

"What's that supposed to mean?"

"Eddy, we are watching a film currently."

"Yeah, an _educational _one!"

Rolling his eyes at his most devious of friends, Double D began to recount his story. Or at least attempt to.

"If you must know, I am having a difficult time recalling the exact details..." he said, still attempting to cast his attention to the front of the classroom.

"That's a real lame answer, Double D." Eddy huffed, resting his head on his palm.

Shaking his head, Double D turned himself to better face Eddy as the teacher remained wrapped up in some magazine. "All that I remember of the event in question is leaving the cafeteria early, as I always do. Then as I was coming down the hall, I had stopped to chat with Ma-" and that was when a fair bit came rushing back in.

The hallway, mostly devoid of people, but the lone Edd had noticed one person rummaging around inside of a locker. He remembered his body seize up when the mess of blue hair came into view, the slightly disheveled black tank top and the green cargo pants that hung loosely from the hips.

"Uh, Sockhead? You still with us?" Eddy asked, prodding his suddenly catatonic friend. Double D then shut his eyes tight.

"Oh dear, oh my, oh dear..." the smartest Ed began muttering to himself before the dumbest poked his shoulder lightly.

"Double D? Are you okay?" he asked, showing a fair bit of concern for his friend. "Did you run into a brain snatcher in the hallway?"

Shaking his head, he answered, "No, Ed. I don't believe I did. Though, come to think of it, it wouldn't be too dissimilar..."

"Well come on, get on with it! What happened out there?" Eddy asked, tapping his fingertips against the desk. Honestly, the guy probably just ran into Nazz or remembered a new bug documentary that would be on tonight…

"Well, you see, I-uh..." Double D struggled, before dropping his voice as low as it could go. "I...I may have run into Marie..."

Eddy raised an eyebrow. That would've explained his being missing. "So you got chased around by a Kanker. Sucks, but that's nothing new."

"Well, I wasn't exactly…chased, per se." Double D seemed to have color running to his cheeks, and he thanked Newton that the classroom was dark enough to hide his bright face.

"Well caught then, whatever. It's still nothing new, man."

"But Eddy," Ed quietly called over Double D's desk. "Marie was already in the room when we got in. I remember because I got real nervous and hid inside my jacket."

"Oh yeah, Lumpy, that's right..." Eddy looked back to his friend seated in the middle with a suspicious look on his face. "If she was in here the whole time, then what'd she do? Lock you in a locker?"

Shaking his head, Double D said, "If only it were that simple. From my recent recollection, I do believe that…I believe she invited me to the Sadie Hawkins Dance for this Friday…"

Eddy's eyes got wider, but he still kept himself mostly together. "Whoa, really? I figured that she'd just drag you there or something. She actually gave you the chance to say no?"

"I suppose she did, Eddy, yes..." Double D said evasively.

"And so how'd she take it?"

"Beg pardon?" Double D said, looking directly at his friend finally.

"How'd she take you saying no, Sock-for-brains?" Eddy asked, impatiently. He doubted she took it well, that was probably why Double D had been late.

"Well, that's just it, Eddy..." Double D finally continued, "I don't actually believe I...I don't believe I said no..."

"What?!" Eddy exclaimed, his whispered tones raising just high enough to earn a shushing from the front of the room. Dropping his voice again, Eddy leaned himself closer. "What do you mean you didn't say no?! Are you suicidal, ya idiot?!"

"I don't recall saying yes, either!" Double D explained, searching his brain. "I-I was just so unprepared for her to simply talk to me without the need for running away! I just babbled, and I believe she took that as a confirmation to her request!"

Eddy pressed his fingertips to his head, digging his fingers into his scalp in frustration. "Nice going, Sockhead, now she'll probably get her whacko sisters to do the same!"

Double D allowed himself to grow silent, remembering how Marie had been in the hall. She hadn't acted nervous, he never recalled her looking nervous outside of the reverse psychology occasion. In the hall, she was still confident, hands on her hips and that sly smile she so casually flashed.

However, try as he might he also recalled her having avoided her usual actions as well. There was no forced contact, no demands for him to listen or "pucker up," as it were. She had kept her distance a good foot away from himself, adjusting her hair and speaking to him casually. As though all the hostile affection she had portrayed in the past had never existed.

Perhaps it was being spoken to by a tormentor of his, but he froze, listening to her simple request to be her date for the upcoming school event. At that moment he had actually been able to take in her appearance without the usual malicious intent, her lightly dirt coated body and ratty hair, the freckles dotting her face and the slightly crooked grin she had. The athletic build she had developed from all the months of pursuit.

Eddward cursed his past self, realizing it may have started as a fear of a Kanker, but by the end of the request his babbling was more akin to his personal interactions with Nazz. It wasn't terror, it was stupefying nerves whenever he spoke to someone attractive of the opposite sex.

As Eddward briefly considered his surroundings, taking in the nervous look of Ed and the aggravated mutterings of Eddy, he looked towards the back of the class. Past Kevin and Nazz briefly chatting, past Jonny copying notes from Plank in the desk opposite, he saw the Kankers.

Lee was leaning back, face covered by a textbook. By the steady rises and falls of her chest, he supposed she was napping. May was focused on the back of Ed's head, absentmindedly scribbling on a loose piece of paper. And Marie?

Her eyes were on him before he could blink.

She grinned that same crooked grin, adjusting her hair so he could see both of her eyes. She then waved her fingers at him, never taking her eyes off of him. He darted back around, attempting in vain to focus back on the film.

As the class went on, and Double D continued to contemplate his situation, he could have cursed himself when the prospect that he had actually been asked to the dance made his stomach flutter. With rosy cheeks still hidden by the dim light of the room, and a small gap-toothed grin gracing his features, he almost shuddered at the small voice in his head.

'Oh, let's give her the chance, shall we?' It said to him. 'What kind of genius mind turns away from exciting and adventurous research material?'

Yes, what kind,_ indeed_.


End file.
